His Ninja Way
by LadyToFu
Summary: Stories from the life of cool ninja Sharingan Kakashi. Written in the early Naruto days, so assume AU perspective kudasai...
1. Snapshot

Author's Note:  
  
Yea, I just thought I would fix the first chapter because the script came out all weird on f.net. Minor corrections besides getting rid of the annoying unreadable stuff. Sorry this story is taking so long to get out, the disk I originally had the stories stored on died so I had to start from scratch~~ (T_T).  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto, etc. So please don't sue me, I don't have money anyway.  
  
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His Ninja Way  
  
Chapter 1: Funeral  
  
Kakashi stood in his bedroom doorway, water dripping from his stark black uniform. His normally gravity-defying silver hair drooped down, locks of it sticking onto the thin black mask that covered his mouth and nose. With a sigh, the jounin flipped on the lightswitch near the door and slowly made his way across his room toward the adjoining bathroom and closet. He hoped he had time to take a nice hot shower before more meetings were called to decide the fate of Konoha. The latest plans involved asking Jiraiya-san to become the fifth Hokage. Kakashi let out a snort at that idea, the perverted Senin would probably turn the entire village into a giant peep- show. Kakashi could see it now, new rules banning girls under 20 from wearing underwear... Then again, that might not be a bad thing exactly... Shaking his head, Kakashi stripped the black mask from his face, and peeled off his outer shirt, throwing both onto the floor by his bed.  
  
A knock at the front door drew Kakashi away from his thoughts. He swiftly scooped up his discarded mask and shirt and began to put them on again, then decided against it as the identity of the familiar chakra dawned on him. Slowly, he dropped his stuff back on the floor and strolled out toward the door. It was still drizzling and cold outside, he thought, slowing his steps down just a bit more. A cup of tea kind of sounded nice right about now too...  
  
"Kakashi! I know you're in there!! Hurry up and get the door!!!"  
  
"..." Kakashi sighed and with one last longing look toward his bathroom (and shower),  
  
popped to the door. "Gai."  
  
"Hmph." The fellow jounin flashed a (literally) sparkling grin at Kakashi as he shoved his way through the barely opened door. "I see that the rain has affected your speed. Well, when the flower of youth has wilted, strong colds will knock it down further."  
  
"Ah," was all that Kakashi replied as he popped back into his bedroom and shouted, "Let me finish changing. I take it the council has called another meeting?"  
  
"Well yes..." began Gai, his thick eyebrows knitting a bit closer together as his expression grew serious, "but I came because I was worried about you."  
  
"..." Kakashi nodded a little to himself, more or less ignoring the jounin in favor of changing his clothes. "I'm fine."  
  
"Dammit, don't lie to me Kakashi!" yelled Gai, stalking into Kakashi's bedroom and sitting on his bed. "I've known you too long for that. Sandaime...Sarutobi-sensei...he..."  
  
Kakashi stopped vigorously rubbing his hair with a yellow towel as he caught the grief in his rival's voice. He walked out of the bathroom and joined Gai. The silver haired jounin folded his arms across his chest, leaning his head back to stare at the ceiling. He had come to terms with Sandaime's death, just like he had come to terms with Riku's, and Yuuki's, and Sayuri's. But that didn't stop it from hurting, nor did it stop him from feeling Gai's grief. "Yea. You're right Gai. Sarutobi-sensei was someone special. He was a leader, a teacher, and a friend. But like I told Naruto. He wouldn't want us to be sad, because he died defending what he loved most."  
  
"Thanks. I needed that." Gai replied, collecting himself a little as Kakashi spoke. Silently, he admired his companion's unruffled strength. He'd never say it, but this was truly the man he envied, his rival Kakashi. Even under the greatest pressures, the Sharingan-ninja always remained cool. A hint of a grin pulled at the edges of Gai's mouth, as the ninja stood up and headed out of the bedroom.  
  
"I've got to go take care of some things. The meeting is in four hours, you and I have perimeter rounds since most of the Anbu are away."  
  
"Ah," Kakashi acknowledged leaning his head back a bit more so that he could just see the top of his bedroom's window. "I'll get my shower, after all," he whispered to no one in particular before letting himself fall all the way backward onto his mattress.  
  
Resting for a moment, Kakashi contemplated the ceiling before flipping himself over onto his stomach. He scrubbed at his tired face with one hand, tensing his muscles to spring out of his bed and toward the bathroom. Suddenly, his eye was caught by the two pictures that rested on the window ledge right above the head of his bed.  
  
The newer of the two showed himself, smiling proudly behind a blushing Sakura, oblivious Sasuke, and Naruto glaring at an oblivious Sasuke. A smile touched the jounin's lips, Iruka had taken that picture right before the Chuunin exams: when the trio had come back from their first major mission, bright from adventure and a sense of success. The older picture...  
  
Kakashi reached out and gently picked up the slightly faded picture of a different trio and their sensei. Tenderly, the jounin brushed his fingertips over the wickedly smiling girl,the cocky black-haired boy, and the handsome grinning blonde man behind them. Finally, his fingers rested on a masked, silver haired kid who glared at no one in particular through sleepy eyes. Or rather, glared at the one person hidden from view. . .  
  
~15 Years Before~  
  
"Brat! Stop trying to get away and take the picture!" Shouted a bear-life man in some sort of huge headdress.  
  
The silver haired chibi-shinobi glared up at the older man, answering in a perfectly calm voice, "I'm not listening to an idiot pervert like you."  
  
"What?!?" An audible snap could almost be heard just before the older man dove toward the boy, quite ready to strangle him. "DO YOU KNOW WHO I AM BRAT? I am Jiraiya, the great toad-senin of Konoha, the pride of Konoha, the creator of..."  
  
The chibi-shinobi's sensei, being a perceptive man, sensed yet another fight brewing between his former sensei and his current student. "Ma, Ma. Jiraiya-san, Kakashi-kun. Let's all calm down." He began, smiling and making soothing noises he hoped would distract them. "Jiraiya-san, I'm sure he didn't mean anything...Kakashi, it's just one picture, it'll be a good momento. Please take it."  
  
Kakashi, although still disgruntled, nodded assent at his teacher's pleading tone and settled down a bit. "Fine."  
  
"Heh, a picture of the Hatake Kakashi. Jiraiya-sama, can I get copies of this to sell to the girls?" Snickered a little blonde girl, taking her place by her sensei and her teammate. "He's very popular, you know. I could make some good cash."  
  
"..." Kakashi glared at the grinning girl, then at the camera, then at Jiraiya, then at a tree, contemplating ways to do the greatest amount of damage to everything with the least effort.  
  
"Oh, my pretty Sayuri! I see you're learning quickly the ways of the great Shinobi," said Jiraiya, enjoying Kakashi's obvious annoyance.  
  
"Can we just get on with this?" Grumbled Asuma, running fingers through his stiff black hair, positioning himself to Sayuri's right.  
  
"Ma, Ma, everyone," smiled the sensei, sensing trouble in the works once again. "Jiraiya-san, if you could take the picture now..."  
  
"Hmph, I'll take the picture when the Kakashi-brat stops glaring at me and the Sarutobi-brat takes that stupid straw out of his mouth," interrupted Jiraiya.  
  
"Ma...Kakashi, Asuma..."  
  
"No," stated Kakashi, glaring death at Jiraiya.  
  
"Heh," grinned Asuma, shaking his head in refusal.  
  
The sensei sweatdropped. His students had always been unusually stubborn, and Kakashi in particular had never gotten along well with Jiraiya. Well, at least the arguments tended to be amusing, he thought. Smiling, he put his hands on top of Asuma and Kakashi's heads. "Jiraiya-san, please?"  
  
*CLICK*  
  
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A little Vocab:  
  
Sandaime - "the third" or the third Hokage  
  
Jounin - The upper elite class ninja. They act as military captains, etc.  
  
Genin - Apprentice ninja, the lowest rank of ninja.  
  
Senin - One of the three legendary "sage" ninja's of Leaf.  
  
Konoha - Leaf Village/ Leaf  
  
Yondaime - "the fourth" or the fourth Hokage  
  
Sensei - Teacher  
  
Chibi - mini  
  
Shinobi - Ninja 


	2. Training Day

Ch. 2: Training Day  
  
"You think you're better than us? Stupid little kid, you're nothing!" Taunted two older boys, slowly forming a ring around one small silver- haired child. "You're such a nothing that even your parents left you. You nothing-head freak!"  
  
The child simply stared at the ground, eyes cold and unreadable peaking above a black half-mask that covered his face. Inside anger burned him, making his stomach knot. Don't let them know that they're getting to you, he chanted to himself, just breath. Letting his eyes droop in an imitation of sleep, the chibi-ninja looked around him languidly and let out a chuckle before whispering, "That's right. I'm nothing. But it seems to me like you're bothering with a nothing, so what does that make you?"  
  
Puzzled by his response, the boys froze for a single moment, and that moment was all it took. The little child disappeared without a sound. . . but not before leaving behind two neatly tied and badly beaten (not to mention still confused) boys.  
  
Landing on a particularly wide branch in one of the huge trees that surrounded Konoha village, the chibi-ninja smiled to himself, a real smile this time. At least as close to a real smile as he could wear, he couldn't help the bits of bitterness that crept in, that always seemed to creep in. Sighing, Kakashi sank down onto the branch, laying down on his back to look up at the higher branches and preparing to engage himself in a long session of brooding (his favorite pastime after sleeping and eating). He knew it wasn't what a regular six year old would be doing, but then again, he wasn't a regular six year old. He was Kakashi. THE Hatake Kakashi, the great genius ninja of Konoha. The six year old prodigy who picked-up nin- skills as easily as the average person learned to breathe. The extraordinary. . .special. . .different. . .abnormal. . .  
  
"YO! SHORTY!!" Boomed a voice in his ear. Jiraiya managaed to grab Kakashi's ankle just as the silver-haired form toppled off the branch in surprise. Hauling Kakashi back into place, the wolf-like ninja's mouth almost split from the grin plastered on it. It wasn't every day that he got to scare the living crap out of the arrogant little brat, after all.  
  
Seeing the grin, Kakashi fought down the urge to smack it, since he'd probably get smacked back. While, normally, that wouldn't have bothered him too much, the chibi-ninja really hadn't felt the other, and that sent chills down his spine. So he fought the urge and instead grumbled "What do you want?" as a way of greeting.  
  
Jiraiya continued to grin for another minute or two, letting his superiority sink deeper into Kakashi (he hoped). . .Kakashi let him grin, gleefully not mentioning the large piece of green onion stuck between Jiraiya's front teeth.  
  
"I've decided to begin a more serious program of training with you today," said Jiraiya eventually, "Stealth training, actually."  
  
Kakashi glared at Jiraiya, stating simply, "I know stealth."  
  
"Hmph. Shorty, listen carefully," replied Jiraiya between clenched teeth, glaring right back at his student, "there is stealth, and then there is STEALTH. Perhaps you know of the first, but if you knew of the second I would not have been able to sneak up on you today, now would I? So, today we're going to begin your training on STEALTH."  
  
Kakashi responded with a curt nod. Secretly though, Jiraiya's words had hit home. He wanted to be able to move as the Sage did. Not that he would ever let the other ninja know, of course. Jiraiya, noting the way Kakashi's hands clenched slightly and the excited spark in the still glaring eyes, never needed to be told.  
  
"Right, follow me then, to the training ground," said Jiraiya in a near growl, taking off for his special training ground in the ninja's ground- eating lope. There was training, thought Jiraiya as he sensed his student following him, and then there was TRAINING. In his opinion, true training benefited and motivated both student AND teacher, and this particular course plan (having been carefully designed by Jiraiya the night before) was absolutely brilliant.  
  
Slowing considerably, Jiraiya motioned Kakashi to keep low and quiet, setting an example by dropping into a silent sort of crawl. The area they entered was woody, but also lush with bamboo and the smell of water. Hearing splashing, Kakashi wondered briefly if the crazy old man planned on making him walk among a nest of poisonous giant water snakes. He'd heard that that was a common practice in the olden days. Kakashi felt his lips rub against his mask as they unconsciously moved into a grimace. That was definitely not something he wanted to do at the moment, or ever.  
  
Jiraiya stopped suddenly near a particularly tall crop of bamboo, growing in a natural sort of wall. It did seem like the logical place for a tactical meeting, nice and well-covered, thought Kakashi a bit uncertainly to himself as he caught-up with Jiraiya right under the shadow of the bamboo wall. Jiraiya motioned him to come closer. Curious as to what exactly the San-nin wanted him to do, Kakashi leaned quickly in to listen.  
  
"Okay," whispered Jiraiya, "here's your mission. Behind this wall is a natural spring known for its restorative properties. It's a particularly favorite spot for a certain well-proportioned Risa-san. . ."  
  
Kakashi felt his head begin to hurt, he did NOT like where this was headed. "Now, she likes to hang her underwear in the third branch of the tree directly across from where we are. The road will be difficult and full of peril, but you are to go fetch them without her or the other three girls that are with her at the moment noticing. Got it, student?"  
  
". . ." Kakashi glared death at Jiraiya, once again feeling the desire to smack him rising. "Let me get this straight. You brought me here to steal some girl's underwear, while you. . ."  
  
"While I sit here and evaluate your performance." Replied Jiraiya, matter- of-factly, arranging himself into a more comfortable (and he hoped wise- looking) cross-legged position.  
  
"Right, you'll be looking at MY performance," said Kakashi sarcastically, turning to leave, his voice steadily rising. "Tell Hokage-san to find me a permanent teacher soon, one that doesn't have weird perverted tendencies!"  
  
"Weird, perverted tendencies?" said a shrill female voice behind them, followed by a series of cracks. Turning, Kakashi and Jiraiya had just enough time to see four large bamboo branches descending down on their heads.  
  
"See, you do need more training in stealth!" Jiraiya barely managed to shout between beatings.  
  
Stupid teacher, the little silver-haired ninja thought before everything went dark.  
  
----------- Years Later -----------  
  
"So what's this special training that we're doing today?" said a boy, rubbing his eyes with one hand and straightening his blue shirt with another. His dark eyes sparked a little as he glared at the tall man that appeared suddenly next to him. "More Sharingan practice for the Chuunin exam?"  
  
"No," replied the silver-haired jounin, smiling crookedly beneath his black face-mask, "today is a special session in stealth." 


	3. Serious Meetings

Ch. 3: Serious Meetings  
  
"Ohayo, Obito-san," murmured Sharingan Kakashi, as he knelt beside the memorial stone that commemorated all those who had died for Konoha's sake. "It seems I'm back here again."  
  
The silver-haired jounin bent down to gently brush away bits of dirt that had crusted around the lower end of the square stone's edge. "I was supposed to meet my students a little while ago. I waited inside the classroom for them, but couldn't think of what to say, so I left before they came. He's one of them you know."  
  
Kakashi sighed. No matter how hard he tried, he could never get over his nervousness at meeting students. Perhaps it was the way they always looked at him, eyes full of nervous excitement. Or perhaps it was the thought that he was expected to mould three children into true deadly ninja. Not that he had actually passed any before. But HE was one of them, this time.  
  
"I wonder if he'll be anything like you. Ma. He looks like you, you know." Closing his eyes, Kakashi leaned his head back facing the sky.  
  
--------- 19 years ago ---------  
  
"Ohayo, Kakashi-kun right?"  
  
The little black-clad ninja nodded off-handedly to the older man, eyes wandering about the simply furnished room. The furniture was plain but solid and well-worn, simple colors that young Kakashi found appealing. It spoke of a man who lived life comfortably but not indulgently. The type that Kakashi had come to admire. . .perhaps, this teacher wouldn't be so bad. He certainly couldn't be worse than that Jiraiya or all the other idiots Hokage kept making him work with over the years. Then again. . .  
  
"Ma...then, I guess I should introduce myself better, seeing as how we'll be working together a lot from now on, ne?"  
  
Kakashi simply nodded in reply, once again, this time staring at the man himself. Physically, he was thin and tall. The wiry strong type, but broad in the shoulders so his body looked a little unfinished. He was also very blond, hair styled a bit similar to Kakashi's own actually. Personally, Kakashi thought that his own hair looked a lot cooler, but the older man's was definitely just as spiky. Young too. Younger than any of his past "teachers."  
  
"Well, let's see. My name is Obito Naruhiko, but you can just call me Obito-san, or better yet sensei. But I won't ask you to call me that unless you want to."  
  
Kakashi's eyebrows rose a little at that. "Why?"  
  
"Ha, so the silent one knows how to talk, eh?" grinned Obito, laughing gently. "I think you will call me teacher when you feel I am a teacher to you."  
  
Ah, Kakashi thought, as he grimaced under his mask. So he was another one of those types. He'd had a lot of adults try different 'tactics' on him, trying to manage or mould him into what they thought was appropriate. This one had been tried quite often, actually, The whole reverse-psychology theory based on the belief that if they didn't ask him to do something he'd do it. The idiots. Hatake Kakashi wasn't considered a genius-nin for no reason. He glared at the older man. "Right. Obito-SAN."  
  
The blond man continued to smile gently, but his eyes glinted with suppressed laughter and maybe a little something else. "Ma. . .Kakashi- kun. . . you're so, how to put this? Serious. You should really take life more lightly, or you'll grow old too fast."  
  
----------------------------------  
  
Kakashi felt his eyes grow hot. . .from the sunlight on his eyelids, he told himself. He knew no answers would come from Obito-san now, but it was somehow always comforting to bring his questions here: as if the man were still there listening to his problems, challenging Kakashi with that devilish smile. Kakashi rose, turning. He straightened his vest and pants, flicking away a weed that had stuck to one of his sleeves. "Well, I guess I should go before it's too late. The test will determine fate, right? But I promise not to be too serious. Rest well, sensei."  
  
With hardly a sound, the jounin disappeared from before the memorial site. Suddenly he appeared again on a nearby rooftop, moving like the wind toward the Ninja Academy classrooms. He couldn't keep the new batch waiting forever, after all. That chuunin teacher would throw another fit. What was his name? Iruna? Irusha? He was a jounin, dammit, why couldn't he remember a simple name? Kakashi sighed once again as he approached his assigned classroom. Haruno, Uchiha, and, yes, Uzumaki. Uzumaki Naruto. Kakashi shook his head slightly, hoping to gain focus on the present. That name was definitely throwing him out of sorts.  
  
". . .are you doing, Naruto!" The high-pitched shout penetrated into Kakashi's thoughts, causing him to pause outside the door of his assigned team's classroom. Discreetly concealing himself up against the wall, Kakashi watched as a young blonde boy peeped his head out the door before wedging an eraser between door and frame. Uzumaki Naruto, ka? Kakashi found himself wondering. Quite interesting, really.  
  
"Nihihi. That's what you get for being late," snickered a voice, followed by the sounds of moving furniture.  
  
"I'm not involved." The female voice from earlier, but this time less shrill. Haruno Sakura, definitely.  
  
Like I'm really going to fall for something so simple, thought Kakashi to himself, about to grab the eraser and open the door.  
  
"Like a Jounin is going to fall for such a simple booby trap. . . pft," cut a deeply sarcastic voice. Kakashi winced a little at hearing his own thoughts said aloud so coldly. That would be the Uchiha child, he decided. Kakashi wondered if he had ever sounded so cold to Obito-san as a child. Perhaps playing along a little wouldn't be such a bad idea. Have a little fun with life, right?  
  
Throwing the door open wide, the jounin walked in, letting the eraser fall onto his head with a puff that sprinkled his fair hair with white chalk.  
  
"Gyahahahaha! You fell for it!!" shouted the blond boy, bouncing and pointing at him. Kakashi's ears twitched slightly in pain at the noise. The only thing louder than the kid's voice was the kid's brilliantly orange jumpsuit.  
  
"I'm so sorry Sensei, I tried to stop him but Naruto. . ." a girl to his side began to say, blushing as pink as her hair. Kakashi ignored the rest of the apology. Something was a little off about the entire thing. He sensed a certain lack of, how to put it. . .sincerity. Intriguingly enough, this was actually a bit more disconcerting than the black-haired child glaring death at him.  
  
"My first impression is. . . Hmm. . . How can I say this. . .?" Kakashi said after a moment of silence. Putting his hand on his chin, the jounin looked up at the ceiling in seeming contemplation. The kids simmered down then, looking at him with apprehension thick enough to cut through. They were nervous, especially the one in the blue for all that he tried to hide it. Well, no reason not to tease them a bit. "I don't like you guys!!"  
  
The three children's faces froze in stunned masks. Yes, thought, Kakashi. Obito-sensei was right, life is much better when you have fun. 


	4. Meditation

Chapter 4: Meditation  
  
"Show me the Sharingan."  
  
"No."  
  
"Show me the Sharingan."  
  
"No."  
  
Kakashi turned his face, stifled a grimace, as he watched Konoha's loudest ninja glare death at Sasuke. Watching his students was usually amusing, but it got a bit annoying at times. Like now.  
  
"Fine! Like I really wanted to see it anyway!" shouted Naruto, face turning pink.  
  
"Ahou," Sasuke deadpanned back.  
  
Kakashi wanted to get through some serious business, or at least get some peace and quiet. Drooping his eyes to hide his intentions, he moved to interrupt whatever Naruto was about to yell in response. "Ma, ma. Sasuke, Naruto! Sakura-chan is sick today, but I want to get in some training before we get back to Konoha."  
  
"Ah," replied Sasuke with a nod. Perversely, he hoped it was Sharingan training. He hadn't been able to exercise the technique since his run-in with Haku. While he didn't particularly want to show Naruto. Well, no, he didn't want to SHOW Naruto, but he DID maybe want to rub it in just a little bit. Tiny, really. "What. . ."  
  
"Ano-sa, ano-sa!" Naruto cut in, bounding up to his sensei, "What kind of training is it, Kakashi-sensei?! Are you going to show us how to do water- clones? That cool doggie-jutsu?!"  
  
"Aahhh," replied Kakashi, placing a hand on his chin with a look of contemplation. He could feel Naruto staring at him with hope naked in his (currently shining) blue eyes. This was going to be good. "No."  
  
Naruto seemed to trip on himself, falling into the dirt, before jumping up to growl ferally at his jounin sensei. Kakashi grinned. "We're going to meditate."  
  
Kakashi watched as a near-grimace twisted Sasuke's face, ignoring the more vocal protests that Naruto was generating. So, Kakashi thought, the calm, cool Sasuke-kun is less than happy to be meditating. Interesting. He had always thought the Uchiha-brat would be the type to love sitting in his own gloom of angst-ridden deep thought. Then again, that was probably the answer. Sasuke couldn't enjoy just sitting, perhaps, letting his mind wander because there were too many dark paths that it could get lost down. Grimacing beneath his mask, the jounin fixed his pupils with THE STARE.  
  
Yes, THE STARE was something he had mastered over the years. It was a skill that all teachers seemed to develop, and one which he had cultivated for years. That chuunin, Iruko?, had tried it on him at their first meeting, certainly. Hardly scary after all the times Obito had used it. It was a skill that got less effective with consistent use, which was why Kakashi used it rarely. He had other ways of getting his students to listen. . .  
  
Of course, it was effective and would be conducive to a meditative atmosphere . . . which was what he was going for. And, besides which, Kakashi had developed a headache. He needed at least 10 minutes, no. . .he'd settle for even 5 minutes without Naruto and Sasuke's constant bickering. And he would get it, if Naruto would just pay attention and let THE STARE sink in.  
  
Finally, Kakashi decided to change tactics. He focused THE STARE onto Sasuke, as if blaming the boy for his partner's excessive noise. Sasuke sweated a bit then promptly tripped a wildly jumping Naruto, who after a little more yelling became intensely aware of THE STARE. Kakashi noticed that he also began to sweat a bit too, followed by a few convulsive swallows. Well, a few more minutes of STARING wouldn't hurt.  
  
". . . "  
  
Sasuke tried to match Kakashi's stare at this point, but kept flicking his eyes away, a nervous line starting to form on his forehead. Naruto seemed to stop breathing, turning an interesting shade of purple. Yup. The timing was about right.  
  
"Now," started Kakashi, his visible eye closing into a friendly cresent. "Naruto, contrary to what you were shouting, meditation is not useless and boring. In fact, it can be powerful tool in a ninja's arsenal. Meditation is all about balance and calm, and the ninja that can keep balanced and calm in a battle is often the ninja that wins." Naruto opened his mouth as if to protest, but Kakashi was quicker, "We will begin with the lotus position IN ABSOLUTE SILENCE. Anyone who breaks the silence will have to run 200 laps around these hills, do 400 push-ups, AND will have my ultra-secret-ultimate technique enacted on them."  
  
The blonde haired boy clamped his mouth shut, growing a little pale. His butt still hurt from the LAST time he had experience Kakashi's ultra-secret- ultimate technique!  
  
". . ." Kakashi watched as his students followed his example and sat down on the grassy ground, their legs crossed into the lotus position. At least the threat of punishment would keep Naruto quiet for little while. "Now, rest the back of each of your hands on the corresponding knee, like this."  
  
The jounin let his arms fall gracefully, placing his hands on his knees, carefully watching his students. Sasuke was starting to look bored. Naruto was starting to twitch. He wondered how long the hyper little ninja would be able to stay still.  
  
"Now close your eyes. Both of you. Naruto, close your eyes. No close them. Naruto, I can see your eyes open. Close them. Okay, now take deep breaths. In and out. In and out. Good. Let's keep this up for a few minutes."  
  
Having kept his own eye watchfully open, Kakashi smiled at the way Naruto's body went from twitching to mildly spasming from the imposed inactivity as the minutes passed by. This was probably the longest the boy had stayed quiet and still EVER. I wonder how long before he cracks, mused the jounin.  
  
Well, it couldn't be too much longer, and (as his headache was quickly clearing up in the rare silence) Kakashi was getting bored with simply staring at his sitting students. Perhaps, he could arrange a bit more exciting situation.  
  
"Okay, now picture a clear blue sky. Nothing else. No purple-people- eating-dancing-elephants or flying-teddy-bears-of-sparkling-doom."  
  
Sasuke twitched and grimaced. Naruto clamped down harder on his lips, making him look like a cross between an epileptic old man and an acutely constipated monkey giving birth. Kakashi grinned. Yup, this situation definitely had potential.  
  
"Quiet. . .and keep your bodies still. The point of this is to expand your awareness. Clear your mind. Remember, clear blue sky. . .just blue. . ."  
  
The two nin-students seemed to relax a bit at the soothing tone of his voice, so Kakashi continued to drone on about blue skies and the color blue for a bit.  
  
"Blue. . .an endless expanse of clear blue high above you. . .delicately blue. . .like a robin's eggshell," the jounin continued to talk gently as he used all his stealth abilities to whip out a certain orange book from his back pocket. Yes, this would be very interesting indeed. "Blue. . .like. . . the Princess Yumi's breasts, rising into gentle peaks of soft creamy skin. The soft skin, velvet and slightly dewy, beneath Hiro's rough warrior hands. One hand he used to caress slow circles around her *B-E-E-E- E-P* while the other slid down to meet *B-E-E-E-E-P* before he began *B-E-E- E-P. . .*  
  
Kakashi watched Sasuke with fascination as he continued reading out-loud. He'd never known that skin could turn that particular shade of red. He wondered if it was another Uchiha bloodline limit trait, like Sharingan. . .the two were a bit similar. . .  
  
"*B-E-E-E-E-P* went Yumi as *B-E-E-E-E-P.* "  
  
The ground began to rumble. Kakashi transferred his gaze from Sasuke to Naruto. The violence of his twitching as he fought to keep his body still, Kakashi determined instantly, was the source of the rumbling.  
  
"'Hiro! My hero!' the Princess cried into the night, again and again as her *B-E-E-E-E-P.*"  
  
Naruto was now foaming, slightly, at the mouth and had fallen over onto his side (although still in the lotus position). He wasn't going to last for much longer. Kakashi snickered under his breath, THIS was definitely how to meditate! 


	5. Bad Habits

Whoop, forgot about the "no attaching author note's as chapters" rule. Hee. Guess I'm just old school and used to having a separate author's note page~ Ma, neh~ Well, I wrote a new chapter to make up for being bad (and so I could keep my note up!!). (^_^) HeHe. . .So enjoy!!  
  
Author's Note:  
  
Thank you to all my reviewers and I'm sorry it's been taking me so long to come out with chapters. College is keeping me really busy lately. (T_T) *boooo to school!!* I'll be trying to come out with stuff more regularly though!!  
  
Now to answer some questions!  
  
Obito: The relationship between Kakashi and Obito is unknown in the actual manga/anime so I made it up. (^_^) Hee. . . it's sort of my personal theory though, so sorry if the facts get (or seem to get) a little jumbled. I'll try to keep everything as close to the MANGA as possible. (I'm a fan of the series, but I tend not to watch the anime~) As far as age goes, I would guess that Obito was probably 20-ish when he was working with Kakashi (like around the age Kakashi is in the current manga). Asuma: Yea, I know that the kid in the picture is potentially not Asuma, but they look a bit similar. So, I've decided that in my Naruto-world, it's gonna be Asuma.  
  
Plot: Well, there really is no central plot to my fic, because it's more like a series of vignettes. Each section has a plot, but no real 'big' plot. I may do a story arc pretty soon though. . .  
  
Yaoi: No, this isn't a yaoi fic. I may add a little relationship development, but that's never going to be the focus of my fic. I like Kakashi straight and single. MUAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA/  
  
Kakashi's training: Since Kakashi was a super genius ninja kid, his training went a little differently than, say, Naruto's. That's why I'm having him work with Jiraiya, etc. first, because he graduated the Academy and all at such an early age. I don't really see Hokage sending out seven year olds to kill people, unless the situation was pretty desperate. Plus, the chuunin test is different every year, so Kakashi didn't necessarily have to me in a nin-group BEFORE taking the exam.  
  
Okay that's all!! I hope you've enjoyed the fic, and feel free to request any scenarios you'd like to see!!!!! I'm always open to ideas!! ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Chapter 5: Bad Habits  
  
Obito watched the classroom of would-be shinobi as they flipped pages of their textbook in unison, matching the words of the lecturing teacher. Well, some of the students were flipping pages. Obito could count at least three that were starting to nod off. Then again, he couldn't really blame the poor kids, he was starting to doze off himself. The only reason he'd pushed himself through Shinobi law was in pursuit of his own dreams of becoming Hokage. It was hardly one of his favorite subjects, he thought, running fingers through his wild golden mane.  
  
"Uchiha Sayuri," Riku-sensei said, suddenly slamming her book down onto a startled little boy's desk, "please stand up and recite the code of the ninja, subsection 221 paragraph 14."  
  
A tiny blonde girl in the back row peeled herself off her desk and stood, rubbing sleep from her eyes. "H-Hai, sensei," she grumbled before letting out a huge yawn.  
  
Obito chuckled silently to himself. That was quite the punishment, if he remembered correctly, 221 paragraph 14 went on for a good 2 pages. It was amazing what some of the founders had considered a paragraph.  
  
"The. . . uh. . . ninja shall always. . . uh. . ." Sayuri looked up toward the ceiling then down at the floor, scuffing her shoes as she stammered onward. "uh. . ."  
  
"Uchiha-chan, what was yesterday's homework?" Riku-sensei interrupted in a gratingly sweet tone. Obito cringed at the cheery smile plastered on her face. He'd known Riku for a while, and that look could only mean one thing. . .beware.  
  
"To memorize subsection 221 of the code of the ninja," replied Sayuri promptly. Obito noticed that she had snaked her hands behind her back and was rapidly performing hand seals. "But honestly sensei, the code is so unfair sometimes, especially to little innocent girls like me. . ."  
  
A Sharingan-entry jutsu, recognized Obito, just as Sayuri threw her head and arm down on top of her desk (and book) dramatically.  
  
"If only, they had thought more of women when they wrote of. . . this rule!" She wailed into her arm, still loud enough for the entire room to hear. Then, just as quickly as she had flung herself onto her desk, Sayuri jumped back to her former standing position. Quickly performing a release jutsu, but not before Obito caught it. Interesting, he thought. "This, this injustice requiring 'all ninja to stand at attention with out regard to emotion or self in every circumstance. Be it in rain or sun, in love or death, a ninja must be firm to duty. None and nothing shall bar the ninja from said duty as nothing can stireth the heart of a ninja as duty shalt. For a true ninja's heart belongeth to duty and duty alone. First amongst that duty shalt be the protection of the village. For protection of the village and loyalty to those within its bounds are the sacred duty of Leaf. Only then can the ninja be a ninja in truth for with the spirit of fire, shalt the ninja prosper. Not before the spirit, nor after the spirit, but only when consumed with said spirit. . ."  
  
Interesting indeed, that little minx. He had seen enough, mused Obito with a grin, exactly what he had come to the academy to see. Sayuri's reputation as an idiot with a genius for getting out of work was a bit off, but had a little merit. . .she WAS the perfect slacker. She was going to be very useful very soon though. It was going to be fun to see how Kakashi dealt with her. Perhaps she could teach him what Obito had been unable to, to slow down a bit and take life less seriously. Anyway, the anti-social genius would soon be approaching his pre-teen years, and Obito wanted to have him integrated into a stable team BEFORE he got even more angsty.  
  
The jounin shuddered at the thought of an even angsty-er Kakashi. Sighing, he wondered if anything could ever just mellow that boy. Well, working with a genius-loafer isn't going to hurt any. Perhaps what he couldn't take from Jiraiya or me, he will learn from someone closer to his age. It certainly couldn't hurt any, and at least he wouldn't be picking up any perverse tendencies like he did from Jiraiya. Obito grimaced at the memory.  
  
--------- 2 days earlier ---------  
  
"Ne, Ne, Kakashi-kuuuuun," shouted Obito, slamming open the door to Jiraiya's apartment. "I'm sorry I'm late, but my mission ran long. I hope you've been good for Jiraiya-sensei! He told me that he left you here to practice meditation!"  
  
Obito strode toward the silver haired boy who quickly turned around to smile at him. He must have been sitting on the couching watching birds, thought Obito with a smile of his own. That is, until he noticed that the black mask the boy usually wore was pulled down for once, exposing cute chubby cheeks. Cheeks which, at the moment, were flaming red.  
  
"K-Kakashi-kun, what's wrong?" cried the jounin, rushing to Kakashi's side. Without waiting for an answer, Obito pushed Kakashi backward, making him sit on the couch behind him. Placing a hand on the young boy's forehead, Obito felt for signs of fever.  
  
"O-Obito-sensei, I-I'm fine," stammered Kakashi, waving his arms at Obito, trying to get him away. Of course, this had the completely opposite effect.  
  
Kakashi never stuttered, thought Obito, jumping onto his feet in alarm. Impudently shout down older ninjas including one of the infamous sage ninjas (yes), calmly spit out words even when sparring (sure), glare at the most random things for no reason (absolutely!) but stutter? Never! What could possibly have happened to make him. . . Paper. Yes, realized Obito, that was paper that had rubbed against his toes. Puzzled out of his anxiety, the jounin knelt down, bending his blond head down to quickly peak under the couch. . .only to find a small stack of paper.  
  
"O-O-Obito-sensei!" yelped Kakashi, as the jounin reached under the couch to retrieve his find. "I feel fine, l-l-let's go. P-please."  
  
"What? No Kakashi, I want you to sit there. SIT," replied Obito, looking up at his student with THE STARE. Sure, he'd been a little gullible when he was younger, but Obito was smart enough now to see connections, and one of the connections he saw was between the pile of paper and whatever was now afflicting Kakashi.  
  
Only, it was just a bunch of writing. Neatly typed and double-spaced with one-inch margins, probably about thirty pages in all. Nothing out of the ordinary, really. Well, perhaps it was some sort of forbidden-jutsu writing, thought Obito. Better to read it and see.  
  
Ch. 1 -- Forbidden Passions in the Waterfall of Lust  
. . .The dastardly Beerinu had taken the lovely Princess by force to the  
Waterfall of Doom where he @#$!#($!)%. . .  
  
Obito gasped. It was too horrible- - much too horrible for him to even think of- - much to horrible for him to continue reading. A lot more than thirty pages, as it turned out, of the developing relationship between the Princess Risa and the dastardly Beerinu as they went from the Waterfall of Doom slowly into the passionate caves of Treasure Isle. He couldn't believe that this sort of. . . smut. . . was here. He couldn't believe that Kakashi had been reading about how Beerinu had done those. . .things. . . with the poor Princess. It was. . . horrible.  
  
"Ah, s-sensei? Ah, I think Jiraiya will be back soon, and I, ah, shouldn't we be going now? I really do feel okay. . ." mumbled Kakashi, gently prodding the not-reading Obito with his foot.  
  
"Ah. . .H-Hai, Kakashi-kun!" Sweatdropped Obito, smiling up at his equally sweatdropping student. "Why don't we go out to the, ah, training grounds. Yes, the, ah, wood-target training grounds should be a good place to, ah, start."  
  
". . ." Kakashi pulled up his mask and jumped off the couch, heading toward the still open door.  
  
Obito folded the manuscript in his hand, putting it into his jacket pocket (to confront Jiraiya with later, of course) and followed after the young boy. Perhaps, he thought to himself, it was time to start integrating Kakashi with more people his age. 


	6. Family

Chapter 6: Family

"Yo! Great and powerful Kakashi-tensai!"  
  
Kakashi's left eyebrow twitched. Calm, he told himself nonetheless, ignoring the gratingly shrill voice that cut through the air.  
  
"OY!"  
  
Count to one-hundred, Kakashi counseled himself quietly. Just count to one- hundred and she'll go away. . .  
  
"O-Y! Are you deaf or just plain dumb? No, actually, don't answer that." Shouted Sayuri as she jumped onto the branch Kakashi was sitting on. Carefully covered by broad leaves, the area where she stood had the feel of a dark-green, leafy room she noticed as she plopped down onto the branch beneath her feet.  
  
"Be careful," growled Kakashi, cracking open an eye to glare at the impudent female. "These branches aren't meant to be jumped on like that, you're gonna make it break."  
  
Now it was Sayuri's turn to twitch in agitation. "Why, you. . . I'll break something for you! You. . ."  
  
No! Patience, she chanted under her breath, quickly suppressing the urge to throttle the arrogant little piece of. . . No, he was going through something and she had to be patient. Quietly, drawing her legs up under her, Sayuri rested her chin on her knees. In her mind's eye, she replayed the mini-lecture Obito-sensei had subjected her and Asuma to the night before. Today was some sort of sad day for Kakashi, a day where they weren't supposed to bother him. Leave him be, sensei had counseled them.  
  
Kakashi leaned back and stared at his teammate cautiously through half- lidded eyes. He hoped that he looked unaware and sleepy, because she was acting completely out of character. The Sayuri he knew would have kicked him off the branch and then settled in for a nap by now. Smothering a threatening sigh, he closed his eyes completely, deciding to simply return to his mediations. He knew why she was here, but girls were just too complicated to deal with like normal people.  
  
"Kakashi," Sayuri cut in, just as he slowed his breathing to the appropriate rhythm.  
  
"Hai," he replied without bothering to open his eyes. He could feel her chakra fluctuate.  
  
"Ah. . ."  
  
"You want to know why Obito-san told you and Asuma to leave me alone?" Kakashi stated bluntly, eyes still closed.  
  
Sayuri felt her back grow rigid. She hadn't expected him to be so straight forward about. . .anything. Usually, Kakashi was a bundle of enigma wrapped in a blanket of fog, and he NEVER shared personal information despite all the prying techniques she and Asuma had tried on him. "H-hai."  
  
Kakashi opened his eyes briefly to look at her. Sayuri felt his gaze measure her intensely, as if looking for something in particular. Sayuri couldn't help it. She'd never been one to back down from a guy's challenge, so she stared back. Silently, she wished that Kakashi would just open up this once, and not just because she was curious.  
  
Kakashi shrugged to himself and stretched down lengthwise on the branch. Closing his eyes once again, he ran slim fingers through his spiked silver hair. "My parents were killed today."  
  
Sayuri felt her cheeks burn pink. Admittedly, she had suspected something like that had happened to the acknowledged orphan boy, but she didn't quite know how to deal with it now that he had openly told her. Now she wished she had just listened to Obito-sensei and kept her mouth shut. "I'm sorry. If you need someone. . ."  
  
"No," cut in Kakashi, "I don't need sympathy. That's why I asked Obito-san to tell you two to leave me alone. I guess it's not real fair to you though. Asuma already knew."  
  
She had suspected as much. He had acted entirely too uninterested the other night. "Oh."  
  
"It's nothing personal, Yuri." Kakashi said softly, "Asuma was in the building when I was brought in to meet the Hokage. Did you know he was actually the first kid I met in Konoha?"  
  
Sayuri shook her head. She was confused. "Kakashi, I thought. . ."  
  
"I didn't grow up here," he interrupted her. "My parents weren't even ninjas. They were traders. Weren't even killed for a good reason, just in the wrong place at the wrong time."  
  
Kakashi rolled his foot in a circle, causing his ankle to make a loud cracking sound. It had been a long time since he had talked to anyone about his parents. Well, besides Obito or Hokage. It had been a long time since he had really thought about it at all.  
  
"Kakashi. . . "  
  
"Ah," Kakashi cut in again. "I know, 'but I'm a ninja.' Well, I wanted to kill them. The people that killed my parents. Hokage said that he'd let me learn if I could."  
  
"Yes, but, Kakashi. . ." Sayuri tried to begin again, this time leaning in closer to the silver-haired ninja.  
  
"I will you know. I'll. . . ." Kakashi never finished the thought, as a somewhat miffed Sayuri kicked him off the branch.  
  
"STOP INTERRUPTING!" she shouted at him as he flipped over expertly in the air to land on his feet. Glaring at her briefly, his angry expression mixed with a sort of stunned hurt, he debated whether or not to go back up the tree. Suddenly, the impact of her actions hit Sayuri. "Oh! Right. . .I'm so sorry! But I was trying to ask you something important and you kept interrupting! I. . .uh . . . I'm sorry! I really did mean to be sympathetic!!"  
  
Sighing, Kakashi waved away her apology and turned to leave when a familiar arm wrapped around his neck in a loose choke-hold.  
  
"Tsk. Tsk. Don't get mad at her for being stupid. You know it IS Sayuri," laughed a grinning Asuma. "See, she just forgot that she was being sympathetic, probably. Right?"  
  
Kakashi twisted his head around so he could glare at his other teammate. He'd had enough of all this. He just wanted to be left alone again. ". . . "  
  
"Hey, come on, don't go all 'look at me brood, I'm the great brooder Kakashi' on me," Asuma continued to tease, at the same time strengthening his hold on Kakashi. "Kakashi, we're your teammates, you're supposed to trust us, you know."  
  
". . ."  
  
"And do not forget me!" Kakashi felt himself choke, and not from the strangle hold Asuma had on him. He could recognize the sound of that annoyingly pompous voice anywhere. "Ah, the flowers of youth gather in one place to mourn with our brother and rival!"  
  
Kakashi struggled to get his head up high enough to glare at the approaching green-clad creature. Unfortunately, that only made Asuma increase the strength of his hold, cutting off the last bits of air reaching Kakashi's lungs. The edges of his vision began to blur and then fade black, Kakashi heard voices shout out apologies and the merits of youth. Kakashi smiled despite himself. 'Brother,' he thought, it had a nice ring. Grief would never leave his mind, he acknowledged, but it was still nice to have a family once again. "Thanks," he managed to mouth, as he fell into the embrace of unconsciousness.


End file.
